Need advice!

if you have been on track, one treat day shouldnt change the scale that much. eat normally, dont starve yourself before hand, if you have cocktails on an empty stomach-you will feel worse the next day! make good food choices while you are out, and alternate a non alcohol beverage for every cocktail you order!

Agree with the above, although watch what goes into the cocktails!

I've not been able to let the odd friday night couple slip me buy... so instead of pints i drink budwiser (only 99kcal per bottle) (1or2) and Jack Daniels and Diet Coke (64kcal) (which i think is actually a higer figure on MFP than in reality)... (1or2)... its not so much about the alchol.. most spirits are around 35-55kcal per 25mm shots it's what you mix them with... for example a double vodka cranberry sounds healthy but its actually 195kcal!... where as if it was a double vodka diet coke it would be about 82kcal!....

Also dont be afraid to count the calories, i went out on a big bender a few weeks ago and drunk 2500kcal (dont ask how!... all i can say is dont let your friend order pitches of vodka redbull), but you just exersize and balence off over the week... still lost like 3lbs that week!

Si x

So recently ..about 5 weeks ago I started my weight loss journey..so far Im down 11 pounds and have been really strict with not eating any sugar or salt..mostly lean chicken and veggies and sweet potatos! Yum!!! anyway this Saturday is my best friends birthday so she wants to have a girls day..she wants to go see a movie ..go eat and go bowling as well as drinking..now I havent been a big drinker for a couple years(since I had my son..my tolerance for alcohol just vanished!) but this Saturday I want to let lose and not count calories all day I just wanna have a good time. How can I do that..because when I step on the scale on Monday I will be so depressed. I do believe in everyone having a cheat day or meal.. once a week. I havent had one in 5 weeks..I want one!..lol my thoughts is that since Im off Friday I would go to the gym in the morning and that night and also on that Saturday morning..Eat some cheerios and skim milk and nothing else until we go out?? is that a good tactic?? I am still trying to find the best calories for me..MFP says I should eat 1770 calories a day and because I never get to excercise (sedentary) I cut that to about 13-1400 and about 80oz of water is this wrong?..Im sorry I know Im asking alot of different questions but I think I should have lost more then 11bls in 5 weeks and want to make sure Im not doing anything wrong..I just want to have a great time this weekend ..please help!

First suggestion: IF MFP says set your calorie intake to 1700+ then let it sit there. It takes into account your sedentary lifestyle and makes caloric estimated adjustments accordingly. Mine was clear up to 1810 when I first joined, and I am down 70. (Of course I've been walking off a lot of that weight, heh.)

Second: Don't not eat through the day, eat a light breakfast, a light snack, a light lunch, etc You get the idea. That way you aren't SO hungry by the time you go out that you binge and feel even worse the next day. Also, you go out, you eat, you come home your scale is going to TSK at you. Ignore it, and just get back to what you've been doing. Your scale isn't the boss of you, it's just there to help. So don't get depressed, just get back on track after your "cheat day" and remember that sure you probably will have a few extra pounds back on, but that's all a part of it. The weight WILL come back off.

Third: Weight comes off at different speeds for everyone. I think a "good" average is half a pound per week, my experience has been pretty dramatic but I have also been walking regularly- I think if you are not exercising regularly and are still losing weight exclusively from modifying your diet then you are exactly where you need to be, and your weight loss speed is right where it should be. Want more results? Feed yourself and do some light walking when you have an hour free. Anything "Active" works towards getting your body burning through those reserves ;-)

Fast Eddies! Man, I miss that place. I used to live in Collinsville. They DO have something you can eat -- peel and eat shrimp. In fact, you could eat like 100 of them. Shrimp is super healthy as long as it's not drenched in butter or fried (their's isn't). If it were me, I would need some potatoes or a salad to go with it. I might eat something small before I went out and load up on shrimp if I were you.. Another drink trick - I drink vodka sodas... if you've had too many but your girlfriends are still tossing them back, an occasional soda water with lime (and no vodka) looks just like a cocktail!